Jonesboro gets 'political plum'Jonesboro was bound to get a prized, long-awaited “political plum,” no matter who won the gubernatorial election of 2014. Each major candidate, Republican Asa Hutchinson and Democrat Mike Ross, promised publicly that he would appoint someone from Jonesboro to the powerful Arkansas Highway Commission. Thus, Hutchinson fulfilled that pledge by announcing that sometime this month Alec Farmer, a Jonesboro businessman and farmer, will take a seat o...

Pope County Quorum Court opposes Plains and Clean LineRecently the Pope County Quorum Court voted unanimously to oppose the construction of Plains and Clean Line’s High Voltage Direct Current transmission line. The HVDC line has been proposed to run from Guymon, Okla., to Memphis, Tenn. If built it will move 3,500 MegaWatts of wind generated electricity from the Midwest to Arkansas and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) power grids. The resolution reads in part, “If this power line is built, it...

The race is onEditor’s note: Will Berry is one of the board of directors for the RussVegas Half Marathon and Relay. He will write a column about various topics relating to the half-marathon in the weeks leading up to the April 10-11 event. On April 26, 2014, over a thousand people ages 13 to 77 came from 22 states, including New Mexico, California and Connecticut, to Russellville. This doesn’t include the friends and family they brought with them. Every hot...

Cops: Suspect stopped for chicken and biscuits after heistPolice arrested a western Pennsylvania bank robbery suspect when he stopped for chicken and biscuits at a restaurant two blocks away. Shane Lindsey, 32, who was arrested Wednesday about 20 minutes after he allegedly robbed the Citizens Bank in downtown New Kensington. Police told the (Tarentum) Valley News Dispatch witnesses saw a bald man matching Lindsey’s description run toward a restaurant after the heist. Police knew the business had surv...

Mr. President, work with CongressWASHINGTON, D.C. — The State of the Union, the constitutionally mandated presidential address, is typically delivered to Congress at the beginning of the year. While today’s method of delivery is a speech before a joint session of Congress, Thomas Jefferson started a common practice among presidents that lasted for more than a century of delivering a written report to lawmakers. For the first time in Barack Obama’s presidency, he will deliver ...

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John Boozman / SenatorThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Smart911 has already saved livesWe live in an era when privacy is difficult to maintain. Even things we want to remain hidden — bank accounts, Social Security numbers, where we store our valuables — are at risk because of emerging technologies and time-tested information-stealing tactics. At times, we even divulge things about ourselves, through social media perhaps, that someone could use for a nefarious reason. However, sharing some information with the right people can sa...

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Arkansas Department of Emergency ManagementThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

We must improve race relationsCONWAY — To begin our visit today, I would like to make a statement and then tell why I believe it is so important: “We Must Improve Race Relations in America.” There is no good reason why this is not true, and what a much better nation we will have when this comes to pass. In this respect, I believe I have some ideas that can make a difference. As a basic foundation for my premise, I would like to tell you about a friend I have here in my com...

Focus on state, not D.C.A new governor has assumed office, and legislators have begun the 2015 legislative session, but if you’re like most interested Arkansas citizens, you probably care more about what’s happening in Washington, D.C., than about what’s happening in Little Rock. That’s understandable. The issues are bigger and the stakes higher in our nation’s capital. National politics lends itself better to story lines, heroes and villains. It’s the American flag ...

Why all the love for George Clooney?Social media is agog over George Clooney’s tribute to his wife, Amal, at last weekend’s Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood. Women, especially, are swooning in their tweets and Facebook postings. Said Clooney, “Listen, it’s humbling to find somebody to love, especially when you’ve been waiting your whole life, especially when your whole life is 53 years ... Amal, whatever alchemy brought us together, I couldn’t be more proud to be your husband.” ...

Open letter to the citizens of Pope CountyI would like to take this opportunity to let the citizens of Pope County know just how fortunate we are. As you may know, I was elected last year to serve as your sheriff and for that, I am very grateful. Starting this position Jan. 1 was much less stressful thanks to the help I received from the former Sheriff, Aaron DuVall. He has worked with me over the last few months providing me with information and advice that allowed for a smooth trans...

New Year's irresolutionPresident Barack Obama’s absence from the great gathering in Paris of national leaders from other countries, to show their solidarity with France in its opposition to Islamic terrorists, was another sign of the Obama administration’s continuing irresolution in the face of terror. Even the recent courageous message of Egypt’s president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, calling on his fellow Muslims around the world to “revolutionize” the interpretation of...

Law violates spirit of public accessAct 1229 of 2013, which narrows public access to traffic accident reports, is a good example of knee-jerk lawmaking passed blindly by an inexperienced Legislature that doesn’t consider the full consequences of its actions. As a result of the law, which took effect Jan. 1, Arkansas State Police officials are refusing requests for accident reports unless the requestor can specify the date of the accident, county in which it occurred and the name...

Hutchinson's capital to be tested quicklyLITTLE ROCK — After winning election by double digits and seeing his party expand its grip on the state Legislature, incoming Gov. Asa Hutchinson could easily claim he has political capital to cash in as he prepares to take Arkansas’ top office. But the ex-congressman, who will be sworn in today as Arkansas’ 46th governor, will be tested quickly on just how far that capital goes. With potential fights looming on the two biggest agenda items fo...

Police: Man attempted burglary while carrying infantPolice said a Florida man carrying his 5-month-old son acted as a lookout while his friend tried to break into a house, then threatened the owner of the home with a knife. St. Petersburg Police said in a news releasea homeowner found Corey Mathews, 22, outside his home Monday, holding a baby in a car carrier. Police said when Mathews spotted the homeowner, he alerted another suspect attempting to break into the home. The other suspect fled, an...

Child birthing classesI’m happy to say I have made it through one of the birthing classes offered at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in anticipation of the arrival of my son. I made it through an entire discussion involving the reproductive organs — one which compared the birthing canal to an elevator — without snickering or laughing. I made it through four videos of live child-birth without throwing up. I’m think that’s enough to qualify as an official adult....

Where state revenue is generated, spentAs we head into this next Regular Session, you will begin to hear a great deal of discussion on tax cuts and the financial needs across our state. Now may be the perfect time to give you a picture of where most of our revenue is generated and how it is spent. A government’s revenue system is the entire means by which a government acquires funding. Arkansas relies on a broad range of revenue sources. Last month, general revenue totaled close to...

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State House of RepresentativesThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

The Do-Something CongressAs members of the 114th Congress were sworn into office on Tuesday, their party affiliations described what happened last November: 246 of the 435 representatives and 54 of the 100 senators are Republican. That might be enough for some fellow GOP’ers to claim victory and a “mandate,” but they would be wise to recall a lesson from history. The last time the House had so many Republicans was in 1947, when the 80th Congress was sworn in. At that ...

To set the record straightEditor’s Note: Mr. Bookout is responding to a reader question on couriernews.com about his support of the Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Development (AVADED) board of directors. In order to set the record halfway straight and partially answer a reply. No, I don’t live in Russellville, as is evidenced by my address and real name. I just have an interest in transportation in general. When the intermodal authority was first formed in the d...

The magic bank accountCONWAY — If you are old enough to remember the days before fast-food restaurants, the microwave, and instant “this or that,” you will appreciate even more what I am going to say. In those days there were lots of home-cooked meals, and people actually sat down and ate together. There were many food items that were considered staples — beans, potatoes, corn, biscuits, turnip greens, cured ham just to mention a few. Of course, there were many mor...